Which one do you think is the better school?
Why do you ask?
If you are wondering which of these to apply to for admission, then the advice at this time of year would be that you apply to both and then see whether one or both admit you, and whether or not the financial aid package makes it affordable for you.
Probably Stern.
They are about the same in terms of quality, but Ross (and the University of Michigan for that matter) has a very different feel. Stern is primarily focused on Finance while Ross is more well rounded and NYU is a very urban school with a subdued campus environment while the University of Michigan has an intense campus environment. Between those two schools, assuming cost is not a factor, it makes better sense to go for fit.
Both schools can provide an excellent undergraduate business education and both have strong reputations with potential employers. Do you prefer a gray city or a great college town; do you prefer East Coast or Midwest; do you plan to major in finance or another field: do you want a school with amazing sports teams? The distinction in the quality of the education is so small that other factors are probably more relevant.
78% of kids at Stern major in finance so that goes to show what the school is known for. Ross is a bit more well rounded like Alexandre said. Both are excellent schools.
Thanks for all the replies
So when you say finance is Stern’s forte, does that mean the other fields like banking or accounting at Stern are lacking somewhat or not as good?
IMO a huge thing in Stern’s favor is that you get admitted right into Stern directly where most students (unless you have a rara pre-admit) have to apply to Ross freshman year. It is a big positive to know for certain that you are in the b-school.
Agree with @dlcor1026.
@topimpabutterfly The other majors at stern are also very good (international business is also ranked as one of the best in the country) but Finance is definitely in its own league.
@dlcor1026 Isn’t getting into Ross just taking their required courses and maintaining the required GPA?
Ross > Stern
Stern is extremely competitive and cutthroat since the vast majority (78%) of people are aiming to go into finance. NYU itself is also very large and not intimate - there are 22,000 undergrads and nearly 60,000 students total paying $70,000 a year to attend school in New York. Since you will be living in Manhattan, it will almost be expected for you to hold a finance internship or an equivalent during the school year to be a strong candidate after graduation. You will also have to compete with your classmates for the same internships and jobs. It is not easy to maintain a high GPA and a good internship in such an environment.
Ross on the other hand is less cutthroat and more collaborative. You will be exploring courses outside of business/finance to expand your horizon and you will not be expected to have an internship during the school year since Ann Arbor is 13 hours away from NYC. I believe only ~35% of people choose to go into finance/investment banking (if I remember correctly) with a lot of other people going into other business related fields such as consulting, marketing, accounting, etc. You will also have a more traditional college experience at UM than at NYU. UM is known for sports like football and basketball and costs $15,000 less per year for OOS. Typically, however, students enter Ross through the pre-admit process* or by applying in the spring of the freshmen year.
TL;DR Stern is cutthroat but places well if you manage to be in the top of the class. Ross has just as good of job placement numbers as NYU but is more collaborative, cheaper, and has the traditional college experience. Since less people from Ross aim to go into finance, it is easier to get a job out of Ross since less people apply for the same positions.
*Getting into Ross via pre-admit is very tough. I was easily admitted into Stern but rejected outright from Ross pre-admit. I had a 2350 with perfect M + CR and was a U.S. Presidential Scholar Semifinalist.
@topimpabutterfly no, getting into Ross after Frosh year is also very competitive. Many are rejected and then find another major in LSA
What about recruiting? @Oberyn
@HRSMom Yeah I read that wrong I was talking about Ross pre-admit
We visited Ross…that building is pretty amazing.
Getting into Ross if not preadmitted is not guaranteed, but it is not as difficult as one may assume. Many University students who apply to transfer into Ross just don’t have what it takes (sub 3.5 GPA, wrong combination of courses while at Michigan, no community involvement while at Michigan, lack of vision etc…). There are obviously highly qualified students who are locked out of Ross, but those cases are not common.